Help! Trying to take my kiddos skiing (first time for them) - I'd like to put my three year old in one of the learn to ski programs.....but the places I'm calling start their rental boots at size 15cm, which is like a toddler 8....and she's just a 5 moving into a 6! This also makes me think that she's going to be much, much too short for the skis they have on offer. I'm not sure what to do. Does anyone know if skis/boots in smaller sizes even exist? Do we just have to table this until she grows, and choose a resort where she can go in daycare all day? Or do I try to use some of the "backyard" type skis that go on over a regular snowboot (assuming those are utter junk, but maybe I'm wrong). Any inside info from someone more knowledgable would be very appreciated! Thanks!
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My daughter is pretty teeny. Last year she tried snow board (at age 2.5) and the smallest boots were an 8. They def fit smaller then a regular shoe size.. so it was ok.
I don’t think you can use those type of “fake” skis on an actual hill.
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The smallest I’ve seen are in that range. But I took my (then) 3 year old skiing last year and he used our hand-me-down 16.5s. Just added extra socks. Not totally ideal, but they’re the smallest I’ve seen. He did fine with them (he was maybe in a size 7 at the time, though I’m not sure). I think a 15 would probably be fine. Def don’t use the strap-on ones. I think kiddos skiing early is so great, so if you’re geared up for the trip otherwise, I wouldn’t let it stop you.
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I've never seen smaller than that, but it should work for your kid. Our DD had the same size feet when she started and used either a 15 or a 16.5 depending on what was available. The ski rental people said that because at that age they're not during hard turns or on steep slopes they don't need their boot to fit as tightly as an adult does. Just watch out they don't slip off on chairlifts!
My general advice for starting small kids skiing is have low expectations, pack lots of snacks and bribes (we did a gummy or chocolate chip at the end of every run in the beginning), and try to go when it is pretty warm, if possible.
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@Mrs. Champagne: I thought that too, but a classmate's mom pointed out to me that she's probably not going to be going much of anywhere anyway
I'm not sure what's worse - boots that she flops around in, or crappy skis! REI sells them, in 60cm and 70cm sizes, so I wonder if there are some that are "kind of" legit? I don't really want to buy a pair, though, so if the mountain doesn't rent them, it's probably pretty telling right there.@Jess1483: Thanks for the encouragement! We have definitely waited longer than I would have liked to get my older girls (5 & 7) on skis, so I feel like we should just go now that it's easier to put the youngest in a childcare/learn to ski program. She's had some developmental delays she's mostly overcome, so I have zero expectations - if she lets them strap her into skis and stays out on the snow for the lesson, I'll be happy!
@Dahlia: Appreciate the tips! I'm showing this to DH, who thinks that the kids having optimum snow conditions (which in my area of the country equates to cold!) is best for their first time, whereas I agree with you - I'd rather them be warm! Also, I'm LOLing at boots falling off on the chairlift, because at about 32 inches tall, I don't think there's any way she'll be on the chairlifts. I expect this first trip to be a strictly magic carpet experience, but maybe she'll shock me!!
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@PinkElephant: noooo they don't even need good snow on the bunny hill! 30+ and sunny is where it's at
Our bunny hill has a chairlift, no magic carpet, so we had to figure that out ASAP.
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@Dahlia: eek! I learned to ski in the (very flat) midwest as a kid, haha - it was rope tows all the way. I found those, so, so frustrating, especially when with a group of people learning. Just when you thought you had it, someone else would trip on the tow line and they'd have to stop it and you'd fall down!
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Yeah, we also got the info that smallest snowboots were a European 25 or 15. My now 3 year-old daughters feet are still smaller than that and she was fine in them. Her twin brother's feet are longer but slimmer and he did okay too. Their skis were super short I think 70cm, they're about 90cm tall. We actually didn't put them in die kiddy program because we had a bad expierence when we did the same with our older daughter. She was happy skiing with us but hated ski school so we decided to just take them with us (so they did use a chair lift and we just lifted them onto it). We all had a blast...
Also beware that at that young age they are still fearless so mine just went speeding along not knowing how to slow down
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I used to teach skiing and I’ll tell you that unless a 3 year old really wants to learn to ski, it’s a pretty tough battle.
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@erinbaderin: ha! My 4 and 6 year olds have been in group ski lessons the last 3 weekends and are loving it, but you are right that (like any group class I guess, I see the same at dance class), there is a segment of kids who clearly don’t want to be there, and there can be a lot of tears and crying. My kids have been fine though, so I guess a parent doesn’t really know how their kid will be until they get there.
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@erinbaderin: my family (mom and aunt) members also teach kids ski lessons and will say the same thing - at 3, it’s a little more touch and go, by 4 or 5, most kids can handle it. But, you don’t know till you know!
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@erinbaderin: that’s why I’m paying someone else to get all three of my kids started 🤣🤣🤣 seriously, my expectations are so low. I don’t care if she cries and goes back inside after 10 minutes. Hopefully she’ll want to keep up with her big sisters, who are psyched but may get frustrated; the bigger daredevil isn’t very coordinated!
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I was in a ski shop today, so I asked. They did say some companies make a 14, but it's fairly rare. He also said that because kids sit back on their skis (rather than lean into their shins like more advanced skiers), they already push their toes further into their boots than adults, so the sizing matters even less.
In case that's helpful!
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@Jess1483: Thanks! I think we're just going to go for it. This cannot be the first time the gear people/instructors have encountered the situation! As others are pointing out, we're talking about a girl who laid on the floor and screamed for 25 minutes one day this week over the fact that I asked her to put on a tutu dress (her favorite, that she had picked out five minutes ago) for school rather than going in her nightgown, so....
who knows if any skiing will actually take place.
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@skiierchck99: Thank you for chiming in on this! Our expectations are so so low; if she didn't have big siblings who she'd see leaving the kids' club for ski lessons I might be more inclined to skip it, but I think she'll WANT to go out when they are, so I figure it doesn't hurt to let her try. I'm sure if she's really not having it they'll just send her back into childcare, and I won't be upset with the instructors if that happens!
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@Jess1483: @skiierchck99: @erinbaderin: Any other gadgets/gear you’d recommend? Ski tip connectors? I didn’t ski tiki was a pre-teen, so I’m in the dark on this stuff!
@Pumuckl: I’m pretty sure my 7 year old will do something insane. She’s a speed demon!
I'm not sure what's worse - boots that she flops around in, or crappy skis! REI sells them, in 60cm and 70cm sizes, so I wonder if there are some that are "kind of" legit? I don't really want to buy a pair, though, so if the mountain doesn't rent them, it's probably pretty telling right there.
who knows if any skiing will actually take place.
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